It did not take long for Mgr Paul Cremona, who yesterday became Malta’s third Archbishop in a moving ceremony held at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, to make his way into the hearts of the Maltese and Gozitans.

He was not a front-runner in the so-called race to take over from Mgr Joseph Mercieca, who led the Maltese archdiocese for 30 years. And yet this fact must have worked in his favour, both when it came to selecting him as the new leader of the Maltese Church and also in the way he was welcomed by the people.

Since the announcement was made last month and all through the many activities that have been held leading to yesterday’s ceremony, Mgr Cremona appeared to be a man of the people and a man for the people.

He was always ready with that “contagious” smile of his. He shook hands with all those who wanted to greet him. He opened his arms wide to the young and the old, to those who knew him and to those who were meeting him for the first time. He found time to spend with children and young people. He did not shy away from the cameras and has already developed a close relationship with the media, knowing that the media today is an important tool that the Church must use – and use well – to pass on its message.

In a nutshell, he is the kind of bishop that the people need.

The hundreds that have welcomed him wherever he went over the past weeks show that the Church, in spite of all the difficulties that it has gone through, still holds an important place in Maltese society. The thousands that lined up the streets in various localities on Thursday, the eve of his ordination, and yesterday in Valletta, have shown that the Church, in spite of reduced attendances at Mass, is still strong.

And, perhaps, these same people are seeing a new beginning for the Church in Malta. The respect for Mgr’s Mercieca’s long episcopate is evident from all quarters, but the Church needs to change too, and the ordination of a new Archbishop could be the chance for a renewal.

Of course, the Church’s teachings remain the same, as Mgr Mercieca himself pointed out last Wednesday when he addressed journalists on the feast of St Francis de Sales. But the Church could change the way it passes on its message, its approach to today’s problems which are not the same as yesterday’s, and the manner in which challenges its faithful have to face are tackled.

Mgr Cremona has the credentials to bring about this change. His charisma, his way of dealing with people and his ability to be among the people just like anybody else are all examples of his open and warm character, one that immediately puts others at ease.

Having said all this, his job as Malta’s new Archbishop will not be easy and, now that the official ceremonies are over, the difficult part starts today. The Church has to deal with several issues that are affecting the way we live and the way society is evolving, and finding the right balance between what the Church has always taught and the exigencies of today’s world is a tough job.

We will not always agree with what Mgr Cremona does or says during his episcopate.

But we do encourage him to be present in our lives, to be ready to discuss issues that affect us every day and to continue the road he has embarked upon as from yesterday the way he has spent the weeks leading to his ordination – with and among the people.